A Moment in Time
by DragoonKain07
Summary: With war no longer a concern, Edge and Rydia's lives settle into simple routines. However, 'simple' does not always mean 'happy.' Edge/Rydia with a strong Cuore focus. Lots of fluff, lots of Cuore interaction.
1. Envelopes Abound!

Author: DragoonKain07

_Disclaimer: I don't own any Final Fantasy or the characters within. They are properties of Square Enix. But please enjoy my fanfiction despite me not owning the characters :)._

**Chapter One: Envelopes Abound!**

"No really, I'm okay. I promise!"

Rydia was starting to grow frustrated. Ever since enrolling Cuore in Mist's grade school, she had tried to make friends with some of the other moms with children around Cuore's age. However, when she had envisioned conversation with her new friends at Mist's cafe, she hadn't expected this...

"Are you sure? My brother is super-nice, and it would be good for Cuore and you to not have all the parenting stress thrown on your shoulders, especially with you having responsibilities of the village's High Summoner as well!"

"I don't mind it; Cuore's a lot to handle, but I enjoy spending time with her! Speaking of which, I promised her I'd be home soon; I'll see you next week!"

"Okay...just promise me you'll think about it, okay?"

Rydia gave a curt nod to escape the situation and hurried out of the cafe. She sighed as she walked home; she had made friends with the moms specifically to _avoid_ being hit on! If she couldn't escape it around them, she didn't know what she could do. It hadn't been too horrible when Mist was in the process of being rebuilt, but now that the town had been rebuilt and in the process of repopulation, she was dealing with the unwanted attention from guys more and more often. Plus, the villagers, many of whom were residents of Mist before the war, wanted their High Summoner to find a spouse now that the war was over, so that the Summoner line would continue. They were stressing her out much more than Cuore ever could. Speaking of which...

"You're late." Rydia had just arrived home to see Cuore standing just outside the front door, arms crossed. Cuore gave her a glare.

"What do you mean? I said I'd be home at 6:30..."

"It's 6:32." Cuore continued to glare.

"Cuore..." Rydia dropped her shoulders, knowing Cuore would hold her ground. "Alright, you're right, and I'm sorry. Can I make it up to you by adding 2 minutes to your bedtime tonight?"

"...maybe." Cuore held out two envelopes to Rydia. "We got mail today, and one is from Eblan; do you think he is coming to visit?"

Rydia pulled the envelopes from Cuore's hand apprehensively. She didn't want to get Cuore's hopes up prematurely. "I don't know Cuore; let me read the letter first, okay? I'll let you know tomorrow what's going on. But first, I need to make you dinner."

"Fine." Cuore stormed off back into the house, leaving Rydia dreading how the rest of the night would be. And all over two minutes...

* * *

Cuore snuck down the stairs quietly. She had played mad the whole night in order to try to distract her mom, and she was hoping to be able to sneak in and finally find out where her mom stored the letters she got from him. _Sneaking just like him._ She smirked as she pushed the ground floor door open ever so slightly, and she began to peer through the door crack.

In their dining room, she saw her mom laying her head upon their table. She began to worry that she had tired her mom out; if that happened, the whole day of planning would have been for nothing. But a quick rustle from Rydia brought Cuore back to concentration mode, as she saw her pick up the two letters from the table and start shuffling them between her hands, deciding between the two of them. She finally set aside the one from Cuore's school - Cuore cheered a silent cheer - and picked up the letter from Eblan, cutting it open with their decorative letter opener. Cuore loved that knife; Edge had given them it a few years back when Rydia had expressed interest in it, and it was one of the few things they had that reminded Cuore of him.

Her attention shifted back to her mom as she began to read the note. Cuore saw her face shift from one of exhaustion to a tired smile as she read the letter. She even laughed a few times - something Cuore hadn't seen her mom do in a long time. But then it had almost been two months since he had visited, with no contact outside this letter since, and Cuore noticed her mom would always grow more tired when he left for long periods of time. She started to wonder why...but then she saw her mom place the letter back in the envelope and stand up. Cuore snapped into focus; this was the moment she had been waiting for! Cuore's excitement quickly faded, though, as she realized her mom was moving outside the range of view of the door crack. She hadn't anticipated this dilemma, but she tried to accomodate to it, pushing the door further and further open. Suddenly, the door gave way, and she fell forward flat on her face. Lifting her head, she saw her mom's boots immediately in front of her.

"Yes, Cuore?" Cuore looked up to see her mom standing over her, waiting patiently with a bemused look on her face. The letter was still in her hands, much to Cuore's dismay.

"I was...umm..." Cuore was getting nervous; she had gotten in trouble at school many times, but she had never done anything bad at home, and she was having a hard time meeting her mother's eyes. "...never mind. I'm sorry! Please don't be mad at me! I'll go right to bed!" Cuore immediately turned around and ran up the stairs.

"Cuo-" Rydia was left gazing up the stairs, looking defeated.

* * *

Cuore walked into the kitchen the next morning with a purpose. She had outwaited Rydia's attempts to wake her up on a Sunday morning in order to wake to an empty house, as she was determined to make up the previous night to her mom. While she still didn't know where his letters were, she remembered how the outside of the envelope had looked. She gathered some paper and an envelope to the table and began to write.

* * *

"Sir!"

Edge did not need to turn to recognize the man's voice and step. "Not now, Tsukinowa, I'm late for a meeting organizing next week's memorial."

"I know, sir, but you asked me to inform you immediately of any letters from Mist-" His speech was immediately cut off by Edge turning suddenly and grabbing the letters from his hands.

"Tell the board they can make decisions without me."

"As you wish, sir!" Tsukinowa strode off down the hallway, as Edge headed back towards his bedroom. He sifted through the letters, until he came to the one from Mist. He paused in his tracks as he saw the writing on the envelope: on the top left it merely said "Cuore, Mist" and in the center, "Edge, Eblan" in a child's handwriting. He thought for a moment in the hallway, then decided to continue towards his bedroom. He didn't know why Cuore would be writing him, but he cared as much for her as he did for her mom, so he decided he would treat her letters the same.

Finally reaching his bedroom, he sat down at his desk, propped up his legs on his desk, and tore open the side of the envelope, making sure to leave Cuore's handwriting intact on the front. He began to read:

_Hey, this is Cuore._

He smiled. Did she think he wouldn't notice the return address on the envelope?

_Thank you for the letter. I don't know what's in it, but Mom smiled from it. Please come visit. It's been a long time, and Mom's getting sad. It's okay if you don't like hanging out with me and don't want to be my Dad, but please make Mom smile more._

_Cuore_

Edge's smile had disappeared, and he felt like he had been punched in the stomach. Is that really what Cuore thought of the situation? And what did she mean about Rydia? She had seemed fine when he had visited about six weeks prior. He didn't know what he could do, but...he certainly couldn't ignore the letter. He stood up sharply and ran to the castle's training room, slipping in silently on one of the archery lessons Izayoi gave to the Eblan youth. She looked up and they exchanged glances.

"Okay guys, let's take a short break. We'll meet back here in five minutes, okay?" The kids broke off into groups, with some sitting down to talk and others continuing to practice their aim. Izayoi walked over to Edge, who gestured towards the kids.

"They're getting accurate; you're doing a really good job Izayoi. Maybe one day they'll be strong enough to form an archery unit in our military."

"Yeah. Eblan's finally getting back on track; it'll good to see her thriving like she was before the Great War." She paused for a second in thought, then continued. "But I'm sure you didn't come here just to check up on the kids."

Edge gave her a disconcerting frown. "I need to leave immediately. As usual, I'm leaving you in charge of the rebuilding effort while I'm gone. If anything happens, you know the drill."

She studied him. "Rydia?"

"...sort of. But I don't really know. I'll get back to you when I return. I'll be back soon, definitely in time for the memorial next weekend. Can you deal with Seneschal and the memorial board for me?"

"Of course. Do whatever you need to do." Edge turned to leave. "Oh, and Edge?" He stopped in the doorway. "If you want her, let her know. Just saying. I know it's been twenty years, but...everything has a window, no matter how long." He bowed his head for a few seconds, then took off down the hallway. Izayoi shook her head and turned back towards the young teenagers.

"Alright, break's over! Let's get back to business!"

* * *

_Author's Note: I'm at writer's block with my other story, though I'm still working on it. In the meantime, I wanted to work on a little fluff story with Edge/Rydia. Hopefully you guys like it, and feel free to R&amp;R if you'd like! :)_

~ DK


	2. No Fury Like a Mother Scorned

_Author: DragoonKain07_

**Chapter 2: No Fury Like a Mother Scorned**

"You will stay out here, young lady, until you understand what you did wrong. You can come back in when you are ready to apologize or tomorrow morning if you choose not to. Either way, we will be having a chat with your mother again this afternoon. Do you understand me?"

Cuore crossed her arms across her chest. She had been dragged out of school by one of the teacher's assistants, who was now staring her down. "I understand every language; why would you ask if I understood you or not?"

The assistant, taken aback by the starkness of the response, was stunned for a few seconds before throwing her hands in the air. "I give up! I can't get anything through to you. Just remember what I said; you are not to come back into this classroom unless you apologize."

"But-" The school door crashed shut as the assistant disappeared into the building. She finished her response quietly. "-I answered your question..." She looked around at the area surrounding the school, and decided to sit down by a tree stump right next to the entrance. She wanted to explore the village, since she wasn't allowed to return to school anyway, but last time she had been asked to sit outside, she had wandered off, and it had made her mom mad at her. It was the only time she had ever heard her mom raise her voice at her, and she did not want to repeat that experience. Other people, on the other hand though...

She sighed. Other people raised their voices a lot with her. She couldn't make friends with the kids, because they made fun of her magic and called her names. And the adults always got mad with her for every little thing she did, even though she was sure she did everything right. She didn't understand why no one accepted her. Well, except her mom. _And him._ The thought sparked into her mind, but she quickly banished it. He accepted her, but she knew she was just a burden on him. He didn't need her. He probably had other kids in Eblan that were more fun to hang out with. He probably just felt obligated to hang out with her when he visited. He probably thought of her like everyone else did. She began to cry: small tears appeared at first, but soon torrents quickly flowed down her cheeks. She covered her face in her hands, and she was so distracted that she didn't notice someone approaching her until she was swept off the ground by two arms wrapped around her waist. She responded by issuing strong electrical shocks from her body, but the arms simply grasped her tighter.

"Cuore, stop! It's me." A look of recognition shot across her face at the hushed voice, and she stopped electrocuting him, but she continued to struggle violently until he let her go. She turned around to see Edge, who was nursing the electrical burns that covered his face and arms. He was looking at her with a concerned expression.

"What do _you_ want?" She looked to the side, finding a good spot in the dirt to fixate her eyes on so she could avoid his gaze and the injuries she caused him.

"...you did ask me to stop by, remember? I rushed here as soon as I got your letter. I came to see you; what's wrong?"

She turned her back to him. "You came to see Mom."

He walked around her and knelt in front of her so that their eyes were at the same level. She stubbornly continued to look away. "I came here to see _both_ of you. Now will you please tell me what's wrong? I thought you were supposed to be in class right now, and here I come across you crying outside your school. Clearly something happened Cuore. What can I do?"

"Nothing." She spoke at an almost inaudible volume. "You can do nothing. Now go away." She moved her gaze directly down towards her feet.

"No." He spoke firmly, but spoke with a tenderness that reminded her of the way her mom treated her. Remembering her previous thoughts, she started to cry again. She felt his arms envelop her again and pull her into his shoulder, but this time she didn't resist, crying out her emotions into him. She felt his jaw rest on the top of her head, and after a short time letting her cry, he began to speak softly to her.

"Listen, you said in your letter that you wanted me to be your Dad, right?" Her eyes shot open, but she didn't respond. "If you want me to be your Dad, you need to let me be your Dad. Don't push me away, Cuore."

She backed off him and rubbed her eyes, sniffling. She looked directly at his face, and she saw him looking at her in worry. She had only seen her Mom ever look at her like that, a look that used to be a common occurrence in the days when she used to cry every night. "You...you want to be my Dad?"

"Yes." He didn't hesitate to answer. A brief period of silence then enveloped the two of them, as they both studied each other.

"...okay." She nodded at him and sat down against the tree stump again. "...want to sit with me?"

"Sure." He sat down next to her and looked down towards her. "But you still haven't answered my question about what you're doing out here crying."

She sat pondering, then responded. "I got thrown out again." She hoped this would answer his question without her having to reveal her thoughts about him.

"Thrown out? For what?"

"For correcting someone." She spoke matter-of-factly and looked up at him only to see a raised eyebrow. She sighed heavily and elaborated. "The teacher asked us if anyone could name the four Kingdoms that hold Crystals, and one of the kids answered Mysidia, Damcyan, Fabul, and Troia, which is _obviously_ wrong."

"Cuore...those _are_ the four Kingdoms that hold Crystals."

She huffed in exasperation at him. "No, you don't get it; it was a trick question! There are _five_ Kingdoms that have Crystals! You should know this; you've been to the Dwarven Kingdom with Mom!" She gave him a look. "Anyway, the teacher told him he was correct, so I chimed in saying that it was obvious he wasn't, and I pointed out her trick question. In response, I got pulled out here by one of the assistants and yelled at. It's not fair." She crossed her arms again.

"...you're right." She looked up at him sharply. "But, you know, your teacher may have misinterpreted what you were saying."

"That's not possible. I said it very clearly, exactly like I said it to you."

"Yes, I know, Cuore. But she may have thought you were making fun of them."

"Making fun of them...?" Her mind flashed to memories of the other kids' taunts towards her, and she spun her whole body towards Edge. "I wasn't! I promise!"

He smiled back at her. "I know you weren't Cuore; that's why I said she _misinterpreted_ you. I know you were just telling the truth."

Her face became tense. "I'm sorry; I'll go apologize right now!" She got up and ran into the building quickly. Edge looked after her, shaking his head, then got up slowly. He winced; the pain from the burns shot across his skin. If she was this strong as a ten year-old, how strong would she be as an adult? He headed off towards the center of the village to find a potion shop.

* * *

"That's it for today. Make sure to wait outside around one of the assistants for your parents!" Cuore's teacher put her materials away, before turning to the green-haired girl attempting to slip out with the masses. "Young lady, did you forget about the talk we need to have with your mother?"

Cuore stopped and turned around reluctantly. "I don't want to."

Her teacher narrowed her eyes at her. "I know you don't, but we have to do it anyway, okay?"

Cuore eyed her back, before sitting back down at her desk. "Hmph!" She laid her head down and pretended to fall asleep to avoid any more conversation. At least she knew her mom wouldn't be late; she never was. And sure enough...

"Cuore?" Cuore shot her head up to see her mom slip her head in the classroom in search for her. She got excited and ran to her. Rydia smiled back at her. "Hey, get your stuff and let's head back, okay?"

"Actually-" Her teacher interrupted before Cuore could attempt to make a dash out at Rydia's comments. "-I need to have a word with you about your daughter again." Rydia looked down at Cuore, who looked away, frowning. "It seems she's taken up mocking again."

At this comment, Cuore tightened her grip on Rydia. "I did not! I-" Rydia had rested a hand on her head, which she knew meant that she didn't want her talking. She decided to bury her head in Rydia's side instead.

"I'm sure she didn't mean it; you know Cuore isn't like that."

"You know, sometimes I wonder." Rydia glared. "Well, I'm sorry, but I do. And even if you are right that your daughter is some darling princess who just happens to be rude to people without meaning it, she's still disruptive, and I'm about at my wit's end. I cannot tolerate her behavior anymore; it's mean and-"

"I am not mean!" Cuore broke away from Rydia and yelled out.

"Cuore!" Rydia gave her a stern look, but it was too late. The girl was too riled up.

"No! I am not mean! Take it back!"

Her outburst earned her an angry look from her teacher, whose volume also escalated. "I will not, young lady, and you will quiet down this instant."

"No! Take it back! You're the mean one!"

*smack*

There was a moment of silence that filled the room as Cuore, now on the ground, clutched her left cheek. Rydia's hands glowed with energy and a dark expression built on her face as Cuore began to cry. "How dare you..."

Suddenly realizing what was about to happen, Cuore's teacher started to back away, eyeing the summoner carefully. "I'm just giving her discipline. You know, punishment when she's bad? Maybe she wouldn't be this bad if you actually parented her for once?" Her response was interrupted by sparks flying from Rydia's hands, leading her to seek refuge behind her desk. "I..I'll get the police Rydia! Don't make things any worse!"

"And tell them what? You hit my daughter? I'm sure that would go over with them quiiiiiite well. Apologize to her, _now._"

"I didn't _hit_ her, I slapped her. And I will not; she deserved it!"

"I did not! Dad said I didn't do anything wrong!" Cuore had stood back up, still nursing the red mark on her cheek. Her outburst caused Rydia to look back at her in shock, and her teacher eyed her around the desk. Cuore gave a quick glance at Rydia, before setting her eyes determinedly on her teacher. "_You're_ the mean one." Taking the comment as a sign of victory, she stormed out of the room. Rydia quickly followed, a voice calling from behind her.

"She is not to return to this school again; do you understand me?" Rydia glared back and began charging up energy again, causing the woman to hide back behind her desk. Rydia, satisfied, chased after her daughter, finally catching up to her about halfway home.

"Cuore, hold up. Cuore!" She picked the girl up as she stopped at her voice, wrapping her up in her arms.

"I'm sorry, Mom...I screwed up again, didn't I?" Rydia felt the teardrops falling onto her hands.

"No, no. You're okay, everything's okay. You didn't do anything wrong. She had no right to hurt you like that. You were being good." She felt the little girl slowly relax in her arms, and she kissed the top of her head. "Let's get you home, and I'll make you something, okay? How about ice cream?"

"But you always talk to Mist after I get home..."

"That can wait, okay? Does this sound good?" The girl hesitated, then nodded. Rydia let go of Cuore and held her hand, leading her towards the house. "Good. Now what flavor do you want?"

* * *

Rydia eyed Cuore out of the corner of her eye as the girl sat, finishing her snack. It had been about a half hour since they had gotten home, and, after putting some healing lotion on Cuore's cheek, she had scooped her some ice cream and given her space. Already, Cuore was smiling, and Rydia sighed out of relief. She didn't know how Cuore would handle something like this, but Cuore seemed to have a remarkable recovery time, although the same could certainly not be said about herself. Cuore caught her eye and gestured.

"Mom, you should have some with me!" Rydia smiled back at her, attempting to shield Cuore from the stress she felt.

"Maybe I will." She scooped herself a single serving, and sat down beside Cuore, thinking about the girl's comments at the school. She decided against bringing the topic up so soon though, and so they sat in silence for a bit, studying each other as they ate. Cuore's expression turned suspicious.

"You haven't asked me about Dad yet."

Rydia coughed and felt her cheeks start to burn. She had forgotten how well Cuore could read people. "I was waiting for you, silly. Is he here?" She tried to respond innocently, but internally, she was apprehensive; she didn't know what to think of the situation. Since when had Cuore called anyone Dad? Although she was fairly certain she knew who Cuore meant...

A big smile erupted on Cuore's face. "Yep! Can we go see him?"

"Cuore, you know I still have errands I have to do today. But I'm sure we'll see him by the end of tonight, okay?"

"Aww..._fine..._" Cuore let out an overdramatic huff and stood up from her chair. "I'll be upstairs practicing my magic. Tell him I'm here if you see him; I don't want him to forget to stop by!" She disappeared through the door to the stairwell, and Rydia rolled her eyes as she picked up the bowls and cleaned them, preparing to head out.

"Like he'd ever forget to stop by..." She paused, mid-scrub, as her mind suddenly was inundated with questions. What was he doing here anyway? His letter didn't mention him dropping by. Should she tell him what happened with Cuore? How would he take it? She sighed and finished scrubbing the bowls. If she didn't seek him out now, it'd be on her mind the whole day. Putting the bowls away, she decided to find him first, then finish her errands afterwards. She didn't need any more worry after the day Cuore had had, and, although she would never admit it, she valued his advice anyway. She left the house and closed the front door behind her. As she turned the key in the lock, she let out a tired laugh. As soon as she had closed the door, she had sensed a familiar presence shift near her, and she muttered under her breath. "Well, at least that part was easy..."

"Edge, you can get down from the roof. I need to talk to you."

* * *

_Author's Note: This was actually a fairly emotional chapter for me to write. I've always considered Cuore to basically be this brilliant girl who just can't understand subtext and who is very exact about everything she says, and so I was trying to adequately represent what her experience would be like in a small village like Mist where people might be unwilling or unable to accept people with personalities they weren't used to. Hopefully I did a good job, but definitely R&amp;R if you have any suggestions, whether light or strong. I can always use more advice! :)_

~ DK


	3. Twenty Years Too Late

_Author: DragoonKain07_

**Chapter 3: Twenty Years Too Late**

"Edge, you can get down from the roof. I need to talk to you."

Rydia heard a slight skidding noise as Edge slid down and landed next to her. She turned to face him and stood stunned at his charred appearance, before cupping her face in her hand.

"Do I want to know what happened?"

"What happened is that Mist apparently doesn't have a healer or a potion store." Rydia laid a death glare into him. "Okay, bad day, got it. I hugged Cuore earlier when she was upset, and she didn't realize it was me. It was my own fault for taking her by surprise."

Rydia sighed. "Come in then, I guess. I already have the lotion Rosa gave me out. It should heal your burns too. Don't let Cuore hear you though; I still need to talk to you, and she won't want to stay upstairs if she knows you're here." Rydia turned around in place, turned the key that was still in its lock, and opened the front door. She gestured towards the table inside. "Sit."

Edge sat down at the spot Cuore had previously been taking and spoke in a whisper, as he eyed Rydia sharply. "Are you going to tell me what happened with her first? Her face looked pretty bruised. Is she being bullied?"

Rydia sat down next to him and started applying the lotion to his burns. Edge's face twisted but he held back making any noise that could alert Cuore. "Yes. By her teacher." Edge managed to make a curious look show through the pain. "Cuore's not welcome at her school anymore, and quite frankly, I hope Cuore never comes into contact with that horrible woman again." She explained the events at the schoolhouse. Edge's eyes were lit with anger. "Look, she's not coming near Cuore anymore; I made sure of that. Don't do anything stupid. But...I did need to talk to you about Cuore's future."

Edge took a second to compose himself before answering in monotone. "Her future?"

Rydia finished applying the lotion and set the towel on the table, staring at it and twirling it between her fingers. "Is it possible...for her to have a private tutor in Eblan?" She looked up at him with a pained expression.

"Rydia...of course she could. But I'm not taking that girl from you. She's your entire life; I couldn't do that to you."

"I don't have a choice Edge..." Rydia gripped the towel in her hands.

"Well...why don't you come too?" More than a hint of hope was present in his voice, even at the low whisper he was using. "Then you could be with Cuore, _and_ she could have a tutor."

"Edge..." She gave him a sad look. "Mist is my home; I can't desert it, okay? Not for any reason, not even if it means I don't get to see Cuore very often. I have to be here as the High Summoner."

"Rydia, you can come back whenever you want-"

"Discussion over, Edge. There's nothing for me in Eblan." Edge's eyes sunk from pain unrelated to his burns. "It's better for me to be here."

"...alright. If you're insistent-" He steadied himself before continuing. "-then can you at least come for a week? At the very least, you could help Cuore settle in before this gets sprung on her."

Rydia met his eyes briefly, then picked up the lotion and stood up. "I don't know, Edge..."

"Look, you don't have to decide now; just think about it, okay?"

"...alright, I'll think about it. Now remove your breastplate." Edge raised his eyebrow, and she rolled her eyes in response. "I'm checking for any burns I missed, you dork."

"Sureee." Despite his snark, he complied, and she studied him over. She began to feel her stomach twist in a familiar fashion, albeit stronger than usual. Rosa had long ago explained to her that she might feel it around certain guys, but it seemed to occur solely with Edge, and she didn't really understand why, nor did she care to try after the day's stress.

"Rydia?" She snapped out of her derailed train of thoughts and looked up at Edge, who was eyeing her with amusement. She flared up, another common yet unwelcome symptom of his presence, and walked over to put the lotion away so he couldn't see her face.

"You're good. Your armor must not be made of a conductive metal." She took her time using her cabinet to ensure the redness left her cheeks before he could see her. "Anyway, I have some appointments that I'm late for. Can you hang out with Cuore in the meantime?"

"Sure." She turned her head to see him still eyeing her amusedly. She decided to ignore him.

"Good. I'll see you guys in a few hours. The keys are on the table if you want to go anywhere." With that statement, she rushed out the door, already over an hour late for her daily briefing with Mist.

* * *

"You didn't need to run, child." Rydia heard a familiar voice call out to her as she approached the entrance to Mist Cave. She clutched her side as she walked in, realizing that the years without combat had taken its toll on her stamina. Mist Dragon 'stood' at guard, silently observing her with its warm eyes.

"I'm sorry Mist; I just was late from a talk with-"

"Edge? I know, dear. I _am_ the gatekeeper of the city." Rydia blinked at the sudden realization that Mist had to have known about his visit. "But it's okay; I do not have timed responsibilities like you. I can be free when you are, child."

"You knew he was visiting and you didn't tell me?" Rydia gave a frustrated look at Mist Dragon. She opened her mouth to continue, but decided against it, knowing she would just be taking out her stress on her friend.

"I...was worried you would avoid him if you knew." Rydia's expression morphed into one of guarded puzzlement. "I have had the chance to observe you two many times, whether here or in the Feymarch, or even glimpses in the middle of combat when you choose to summon me-" Mist Dragon paused for a moment as it swirled around Rydia, studying her. "-and you seem to push him away, child. I cannot understand why, but I will accept it if it is the situation you desire."

The two silently exchanged eye contact as Mist Dragon waited for Rydia to respond. When she diverted her eyes instead, Mist continued. "However, I could not risk Edge leaving Mist early this time. He waited for my permission to enter the village, and when I inquired about his presence, he said Cuore had asked him to come." Rydia's eyes shot up in concern. "No matter your feelings about him, child, as long as he is of good will, I will not keep Cuore from seeing him. You must understand this."

"Cuore...Cuore asked for him? He never mentioned anything about her asking him anything." Rydia gave Mist Dragon an incredulous side glance, simultaneously looking for a correction and knowing one wasn't coming.

"Perhaps I'm not the only person picking up on you pushing him away, dear." Rydia felt her stomach drop in a deep pit and tensed. She looked away from Mist again and thought for a few moments.

"What should I do?" Her voice barely came out as a whisper, and she suddenly felt overwhelmed.

"That I can't answer for you, child. Your choices are ultimately yours to make. But do not push him away as you have been. If you want him around, tell him. If you don't, tell him. But he deserves an answer, one that you are not currently giving him."

Rydia kept her eyes away from Mist, as she once again swirled to face her. "An answer to what?"

"I know you well, dear. Do not attempt to fake ignorance with me; you know what I reference. Perhaps I should suggest that you stop faking ignorance with yourself as well."

"I can't go anywhere, Mist. My decision is made for me; the village needs a High Summoner."

Mist Dragon's body flickered as its eyes narrowed. "Why do you continue to lie to me, child? You know that you have full reign to leave the city. You are attempting to deceive yourself into an easy way out. He _and you_ deserve better than that. Now go. I know you know your answer; I can see it in your eyes. So go tell him, and stop these games of yours."

"But-"

"_Now,_ child. I will discuss the issue with you later." Mist Dragon faded into the fog of the cave, leaving Rydia alone and deep in thought. Reluctantly, she began to walk the 20 minutes back towards the village.

As she walked home, her mind raced across Mist's comments. Mist had said she knew her answer, so why did she feel more troubled than ever about the situation? It was true that Eblan would be a nice change of pace, and obviously Cuore needed a more accepting and accomodating place to live than this small village, but...she couldn't leave, could she? This was her town, her life. To pick that all up and move somewhere new, and somewhere she had only visited twice before of all places...it just seemed unfathomable. It was obvious to her that she needed to stay here. So why was it so hard for her to say that to Edge? She needed to just force herself to when she saw him, right? It seemed easy, but...

She stopped in her tracks and sighed. It just wasn't easy. She had to tell him, but she couldn't. Mist was right that she couldn't give him a straight answer. But she needed to. She had no idea how she was going to do so, but she could hear his voice from over the next hill, and she clenched her fists in determination, walking to the top. She halted again as soon as she reached it, however, as she looked down the valley to see Edge and Cuore 'battling' with sticks. She hadn't seen Cuore smile and play like that in a long time. He noticed her and smiled, waving her down with a wink. "Well, I guess I don't need to bring up the issue right off the bat, for Cuore's sake..." she muttered to herself, and she walked down to join them.

* * *

As sundown hit, Rydia laid on the grass, sprawled-out from exhaustion. She looked up at Cuore standing over her, smirking. "Come on Mom, you can do better than that!"

"Cuore, let her have her rest now. We can play more tomorrow, okay? Here-" Edge reached into his armor and pulled out some coins. "-the candy shops should be open a little bit longer. Be back in 15 minutes and you can get whatever you can buy with this: deal?"

"No." Edge's eyes widened at her remark. "I won't see you for those 15 minutes. I'll miss out part of the time you're here; I don't want to."

Edge thought for a moment. "Well, what if I come by the house tomorrow at 8:45 am instead of 9 am, as part of the deal? Then you get the same amount of time with me! Does that work?"

Cuore bit her lip in thought, then nodded. "Okay; I'll be back in 15 minutes!" She grabbed the coins from his hand and took off into the village. Edge looked after her and chuckled, before sitting down next to Rydia. She sat up in response and looked at him.

"When did you get so good with kids?"

His eyes flashed as he replied. "I'm good at everything; why are you surprised?" She snorted in response.

"Glad to see you haven't lost your arrogant attitude." She glanced sideways at him. "Though I suspect the real reason is that your mind's at their level."

"Well, considering we're discussing Cuore, I'll take that as a compliment."

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Fair enough." She suddenly realized how close they were to each other, shoulders lightly touching as they sat in the grass. It triggered her memory of her discussion with Mist, and she studied him, contemplating. She decided she had to give Edge her answer now, before she lost the nerve to do so later.

"Hey, Edge?" He turned to look at her.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"About Eblan..." She looked at him nervously and lost her wording for a moment. The expression he was returning in her direction wasn't bad-he seemed curious, more than anything-but it still kept her from finishing her statement. She turned it into a question instead. "Why do you want me to come to Eblan with Cuore?"

He blinked a few times, successfully reining in his initial response. "I think it would be good for Cuore, and for you, to be away from all the stress I always find you under when I visit. I feel like...you'd be happier being in Eblan, without having to deal with the drama here."

"Oh.." She glanced away from Edge, and he closed his eyes and gritted himself in response, opening his eyes fiercely as he continued.

"And I want to...I'll do whatever I can to help make you happy."

The words cut through the air like a knife, leaving behind a dearth of noise outside the low bristle of the trees rustling in the summer wind. Rydia stared at the ground with wide eyes as she tried to register his words. Her heart was pounding. His words had triggered something inside of her, and she felt flooded with emotions, many of which she couldn't explain. She sensed him begin to shift, and she put her hand on his to halt him. She looked up at him.

"What do you mean?"

"I, uh..." Edge suddenly looked more unsure of himself than she had ever seen him. His eyes darted down at her hand resting on his, before returning to match her gaze. Rydia's heart pounded stronger inside of her, and she searched his eyes, hoping they would shed insight on the situation. He lowered his mask in response, and she studied his face, chiseled from years of war and leadership of Eblan. He appeared to try to speak again, but stopped himself. As he brushed her hair from her face with his other hand, their memories together flashed through her mind. He leaned closer to her, and she found herself lost for thought and focus, waiting expectantly for a moment she couldn't describe, a moment she welcomed and yet did not understand.

"HEY MOM! DAD! I'M BACK!"

Rydia's eyes shot open as Edge shifted sharply, catching her with his right arm as she almost fell over sideways. Her mind quickly came back into focus, although her heart was still beating rapidly inside her chest. Edge stood up beside her and she looked up at him, noticing he'd already replaced his mask. He looked back at her and offered his arm, helping her up. When he turned towards Cuore, who was running towards them, Rydia shook her head quickly to clear her mind and walked up to intercept Cuore's hug.

Cuore returned the hug tight and shivered. "Can we go back to the house now? It's cold."

Rydia smiled at Cuore. "Sure, let's go home. Do you want to join us for dinner, Edge?" She turned back towards him, only to see open pasture. "...what?"

"Mom, he's probably busy. We have plans at 8:45, remember? We'll see him then!"

Rydia looked down at Cuore yanking her hand and forced a smile. "Of course; I don't know what I was thinking. Let's head home." As she allowed Cuore to lead her back to the house, she took one last look back, as if the pastures might give her the answers Edge didn't.


	4. Frustration

_Author: DragoonKain07_

**Chapter 4: Frustration**

*clunk*

*clunk*

Shurikens rained into the unlucky cave wall Edge had decided to lash out on.

"YOU.." *clunk*

"ID-" *clunk*

"-I-" *clunk*

"-OT!" *smash*

His last shuriken split a previous shuriken clean, sending sparks and shuriken shards flying. Edge lifted another shuriken to throw but lost it mid-air, as winds swirled around him, picking it out of his hands. He looked up in irritation at Mist Dragon, who looked none too happy with him as it gathered the foggy winds into its dragon form.

"Leave me alone." He turned to take off, and Mist Dragon responded by dispersing and reappearing on his other side.

"I will not; you are disturbing the ecology of this cave, and I demand you stop immediately."

Edge huffed and gave Mist Dragon a tired glare as he responded in monotone. "You're the one keeping me from leaving."

Mist Dragon studied him. "What has you so upset, young man? I presume it has something to do with your talk with my mistress."

Edge narrowed his eyes. "I don't want to talk about it."

Mist Dragon spun around him, taking in his full appearance. "We have discussed this before, but you know that I know of your love for her. You know I support your courtship, as well. Her desire to do what's best for others, at all costs, is a stubborn one that is as admirable as it is her own downfall. You must not take her declining your invitation as declining you, young man."

Edge eyed Mist Dragon, whose face provided no slate for him to examine. "How do you know about my invitation to her?"

"I inferred it from our meeting today; she insisted that she could not possibly abdicate her 'responsibilities' here, and I scolded her for her mishandling of her priorities. Again, she did not decline you because of you, Edward."

Edge's eyes sunk. "She didn't decline..."

Mist Dragon spun around him again, trying to analyze him as much as it could. "Hm..? Would you kindly explain your behavior then? I find it most peculiar you would display this level of aggression if it weren't over her.."

"She...she asked me why I wanted her in Eblan. I tried to ignore the question...but she could tell I wasn't being honest with her. And it killed me seeing her look at me like that." He gritted his teeth. "I told her as little as I possibly could of my feelings, but all that did was make me want to pour them all out to her, which I couldn't do. I tried to change the situation, but she kept me there and prodded me to keep going. Her touch, and her being that close...I lost control of the moment. I tried to kiss her." He paused for a moment, frustrated, then gestured his arms. "...and now I'm here as a result."

Mist Dragon continued to study him with its eyes, though Edge detected a slight hint of sadness in its face, one of its rare glimpses of emotion. "I am sorry, young man. What did she say when she turned you down?"

"Well...she didn't really have a chance to say anything to me. Cuore interrupted us, and I left when Rydia greeted her."

"Young man, are you telling me you left her without knowing what she felt about the situation?" Mist Dragon's eyes narrowed and its body began partially dissolving and reappearing. Edge had learned long ago that it did this when it was angry, and he attempted to calm the situation.

"I was trying to-"

"Trying to what? Leave her? I do not agree with your initial behavior, but you had a responsibility to her after engaging in it and you ignored that responsibility. If you upset her, you ran off like a coward instead of facing her like you owed her. And if you didn't..." Mist Dragon hovered immediately in front of Edge's face. "...you merely left her! How dare you!"

"It wasn't right for me to be there." Mist Dragon spun around him to blow off steam, and Edge began to sweat. "I tried to push things when she doesn't know anything about relationships..."

Mist Dragon stopped immediately, and its eyes shot towards him. "It's _you._ _You_ are the reason."

Edge shot back a nervous glance. "Uhh...reason for?"

Mist Dragon floated away from Edge and looked away from him for the first time. "She has played the same emotional game with herself for the last twenty years, one I have tried without success to get her to cease. She throws herself into work and distracts herself with her responsibilities, and when anyone dares ask her about herself or how she is feeling, she pretends that she is fine. That is, everyone but you." Mist Dragon turned its head back towards Edge and eyed him. "She has always treated you differently than anyone else. I know the stories she has told you, stories that I most assure you no other human has heard. I know you know the pain she's held and the path to forgiveness of Cecil and Kain she undertook, a path that, as you know, took far longer than she was willing to admit to either one of them." Mist Dragon floated back in front of Edge's face. "And I know you know the pain she still holds." It kept its eyes locked with Edge's for a moment, then floated away again. "Alas, I was wrong. It turns out you are not as different than the others as I thought, after all."

Edge's stomach sunk, though he masked his emotions. "What are you talking about?

Mist Dragon let out an irritated laugh. "Do you not see, young man? You are a part of her game too. You are just a different piece! She is just as afraid to bare herself to you as she is to others. The only difference is the subject matter." Edge stood up straight and gave a questioning look to Mist Dragon, and it continued. "You are quite intelligent Edge. Why do you think she lies to Cecil and Rosa when they talk to her about her life or her past?"

"She doesn't like people worrying over her." He gave a firm look back to Mist Dragon. "And I don't mind being the only person she lets do so."

"Of course, on both points. But _why_ does she dislike people worrying over her?" Mist Dragon gave Edge a moment to respond, but he gestured the Eidolon to continue instead. "In the Feymarch, she spent 10 years growing up among Eidolons who never changed, no matter what. On the day she left, they acted the same towards her and towards each other as they did the day she walked in there. It is a trait of ours that she grew accustomed to as a child. But you humans are not the same way. Your relationships and attitudes towards one another change constantly, and it scares her. She lies to Cecil and Rosa because she does not want to change the dynamics of their relationship. She wants them to act towards her as they always have. You know her to be quite fierce and intelligent, yet she acts timid around Cecil and innocent around Rosa, and thus they always act towards her as they did when she was seven. But since she never feared being open with you, I assumed you were different. And you are, to an extent. But only to an extent."

Edge looked around uncomfortably. "What do you mean?"

"Can you not see? You have worried over her and cared about her since the day you met her. All she has ever known is your worry and love. Being honest with you helps further that, although I am sure her ability to be open with you has a nice therapeutic side effect for her as well."

Edge swallowed and looked up at Mist Dragon. "So you're saying she's manipulating me."

"Young man, I never said any such thing. But you know she is highly intelligent. You talk about her being ignorant of relationships, but she has lived in the human world for almost twenty years. She has had plenty of time to observe others to understand her own feelings, and I assure you she learned about the subject directly from both Queen Asura and Rosa of Baron. So why do you think she acts ignorant?"

Edge's face sunk as his facial expression turned into one of hurt and realization. "Because...she wants me to think that."

"Yes, although...as I said, you are still different in her mind." Edge raised his eyes back up in small hope at the Eidolon's qualifier. "With you...it's not just you. She feels the need to lie to me as well. When discussing others, she is honest about her behavior, and she has told me she wishes she could be more open with them. But with you...with you, she refuses to admit she is doing anything. She avoids discussing you around me. She gets confrontational when I suggest she is unwilling to face you. Which is also why...I support your courtship of her." Mist Dragon paused for a moment, and Edge thought he saw a weak smile emerge from it for a split second. "You know how stubborn she is, but you match it with a stubbornness of your own, having waited her out for quite a long time of your species' mating years already. You keep her on her feet constantly, and you never let her feel like she is able to settle into a steady lull. And deep down, from knowing her on a deeper level as her Eidolon than you could ever understand as a human, I know she appreciates it. You have never been one to be complacent with her games, and as such, you are good for her. Do not let my words from earlier discourage you: if she did not want you here, you would not be here. However, if you truly want her, you must not allow her to continue faking ignorance on the matter any longer. In her core, she knows whether she is interested or not; your task is only to get her to acknowledge it. Otherwise, she will continue to push away the topic in order to pretend to herself that her emotions don't exist. And while she may think a denial of her human nature is what she needs, I would hope you would agree with me that, ultimately, she needs to be able to face her own nature as one of your kind. I make no guarantees as to what her answer or feelings will be, but I, as her protector, ask you to find out, for her sake. So I ask you, Edward of Eblan: do you want to know how she feels for you?"

Edge attempted to keep his emotions outwardly in check, although they were flooding inside him, and he simply nodded towards the Eidolon for now.

"Good. Then may I suggest starting to make reparations for earlier today first." Mist Dragon narrowed its eyes at Edge again and spoke in a low tone. "And know that I will not be anywhere quite as charitable in my speech towards you if I am made aware of behavior like that from you again."

Edge nodded resolutely. "Alright, I will." Mist Dragon, sensing the conversation had ended, faded back into the fog, and Edge proceeded to walk nonchalantly out of the cavern. Although he was acting casual, internally he was cursing at the roller coaster Mist Dragon had taken him on. From the first half of the conversation, he had thought for sure it was about to tell him that he meant nothing special to her at all, but now he was back to being more confused about her as he had been before the conversation. Even through the whole twenty years he had known her, he had been kept strong by the fact that she still treated him differently than the others, like she cared more. And now her Eidolon was telling him that he had been misreading her actions this whole time? Despair flickered through him for a brief moment. Was he really just a sounding board to her? Was he just another friend to her? He stopped and clenched his fists. No, he couldn't believe that. He didn't care what Mist Dragon had said; Rydia was still human, and he knew how she acted. There's no way she was only doing that to keep their friendship steady...right? Edge hung his head. He couldn't keep the doubts from pestering him, _although..._

"Damnit." He sighed as he realized what had just happened. He was never going to be able to be comfortable again until he knew how she felt about him, and this was almost certainly Mist Dragon's intention all along. He had been too distracted by how it had started the conversation that he hadn't noticed its goal until now. But it was too late; no matter what, their conversation was going to burn in the back of his mind until he did something about it. Which meant...he had to actually _do something about it._ He laughed to himself sarcastically, and started continuing towards the village. He was the King of an entire country and had faced Zeromus head-on, yet he was too much of a coward to actually have a real conversation with Rydia. And now he was going to go crazy if he didn't. He shook his head and tried to think of a way to explain the last few hours to her.

"This will be fun..." 

* * *

"Are you sick, Mom?"

Rydia darted her head at Cuore, who was staring at her concerned while chewing her dinner. She had been uncharacteristically silent as they walked back to the house, and this was the first time she had spoken.

"No, Cuore; why would you ask me that? Do I look sick?"

Cuore shook her head. "No...but you have a fever, and you've told me that people have fevers when they're sick."

Rydia raised her eyebrow. "Cuore, I don't have a fever."

Cuore narrowed her eyes. "Mom, you told me we weren't allowed to lie to each other."

Rydia contemplated the prudence of continuing this conversation, before letting the curiosity get to her. "Of course we aren't, Cuore. But I would know if I had a fever, and I don't."

"Well apparently you can't, because I can sense how much heat people give off, you know. And your temperature is higher today than usual. So I _know_ you have a fever."

"Cuore, I don't know what you-" Rydia stopped and her cheeks flared as she realized what Cuore was talking about. Cuore's eyes went wide, and she jumped up and pointed.

"See! It's spiking even higher! I'm going to go get some potions." Cuore ran off before Rydia could stop her, and Rydia covered her face in her hands as she groaned, trying to figure out how to explain _this one_ to her. A knock at the door distracted her from her thoughts. She thought hard about not answering, but she ultimately put on a stone face and opened the door...to a very sheepish Edge. The two of them stared at each other for a few moments, before Rydia finally broke the silence with a sigh.

"Can I help you, Edge?"

Edge gave a weak smile. "I was, uhh..wonde-"

"DAD GET AWAY FROM MOM SHE'S SICK!" Cuore barged down the stairs and jumped in between them, trying to push Edge away. He gave Rydia a curious glance and she shook her head in exasperation in response. "Daddddddd you're going to get sick!" Rydia gave him a look of frustration, and Edge knelt down in front of Cuore in response.

"Hey, hold up Cuore. If she's sick, wouldn't it be better for me to be here to make sure she stays okay? You're not going to be able to monitor her much longer before your bedtime, right? Besides, when have you ever seen me get sick?" Edge stifled a smirk beneath his mask at seeing Rydia blatantly roll her eyes behind Cuore, who was contemplating.

"But...you still have a human immune system. You're not incapable of being sick, Dad."

"Is there someone else you'd rather me get to look after her?"

At this question, Cuore bit her lip and thought. And thought and thought. Edge inwardly groaned; he had forgotten not to ask her open-ended questions, as she felt it necessary to contemplate every possible scenario before answering. Rydia gave him a silent smile and laugh as she walked back inside to enjoy the rest of her dinner, while he suffered the consequences of his mistake. After about an hour of him kneeling in front of her silently, Cuore finally responded.

"...no, but only because you couldn't get to the Feymarch Eidolons and back by the time I sleep. You can come in, but please don't get sick, Dad!" She ran back inside as Edge grabbed his back, which was now in intense pain, as he stood up. Rydia watched as Edge followed, gripping the door frame for support, and "toasted" her tea at him, still amused at his expense. Cuore stood just inside the door, staring blankly at her. "Mom, you're not sick anymore!"

"I'm glad! Now you can go to bed knowing I'm okay!" Rydia walked over to Cuore and kissed the top of her head. Cuore moved to protest, but Rydia continued. "Think about it. You were talking with Edge outside for a long time after dark, and now you need to wake up early to hang out with him, right?" Cuore nodded and ran upstairs, allowing Rydia to direct her attention back to the poor target of her amusement, who was now sitting down at the dinner table, rubbing his back. He looked up at her, wincing.

"You're cruel. Ugh."

"Hey, I wasn't the one who asked Cuore whether I was the best person in existence to do a task." Rydia sat down across the table corner from him, putting down her tea and eyeing him shrewdly. "So what's up? Why the late visit?"

"Oh, uhh.." In his slip-up earlier, Edge had forgotten the reason he was here to begin with. And now he was finding it hard to gather himself again. He decided to start out easily. "Mist Dragon wanted me to talk to you."

Rydia's eyes widened. "Mist? Is everything okay with him? Do I need to go see him?" She sat up in alert.

"Oh, no, it's nothing like that. No, he just wanted me to talk to you about...uhhh..." Rydia gave Edge a curious glance, and he broke eye contact as he finished. "Cuore."

"...Cuore? Why so?" Rydia looked extremely confused, as Edge was silently beating himself up inside.

"Just, uh, since Cuore needs to start school again soon. We were wondering if it'd be okay with you if she left for Eblan the morning after next."

"Oh.." Rydia's face darkened again, and she stared into her tea. She wanted Cuore to go to Eblan to get schooling, but she hadn't thought it would be so soon..

"Well, it's just...I'm going back to Eblan then and it would be easiest to take her then. We can figure something out if you'd rather wait longer."

"No, she needs this. I'll let her know tomorrow night." Rydia answered quietly, stood up, and walked towards the stairs. "I'm feeling tired; I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"Wait, Rydia." Edge stood up, bracing himself on the chair still. Rydia stopped in her tracks, then turned her head back after a moment.

"Yes?"

"I...want you to come along too." A brief moment of silence enveloped the two of them as they held eye contact, before Rydia cast her face in doubt.

"I can't go anywhere Edge. We discussed this. I have responsibilities."

"THAT IS SUCH BS." Edge's emotions finally caught up to him as he let out an outburst before he could catch himself. Rydia's face lit in shock, then her eyes narrowed.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm..." About to backtrack, Edge thought about his conversation with Mist Dragon, and decided it was now or never for him to discuss the issue. "No, I'm not sorry." Her eyes narrowed further and she opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off. "No, you only have _two_ responsibilities, Rydia. One is to Cuore, and the other is to yourself. You do a fantastic job taking care of Cuore, but you do nothing for yourself. You bog yourself down with these imaginary life requirements that no one is fostering on you except yourself. You need to start taking care of yourself, Rydia. Do what makes you happy."

"Oh, and Mr. Arrogant here automatically assumes that I'm going to be happier running off to his country with him. Whatever you want me to do is what will make me happy; that's it, isn't it?"

Edge gritted his teeth and his eyes looked pained. "Rydia, that's not what I said at a-"

"You know what? How about you get the hell out of my house and go tell someone else what they're happy with?" Rydia stormed to the front door and threw it open, giving him a fierce look. He looked at her with a short glance, then he left, taking off into the trees once he got past the doorway. Rydia shut the door slowly, shaking. She sat down against the door, and she started to cry, softly at first but quickly building into a torrent. She didn't know why, but she felt...almost dead inside, and for some reason, all she could think about were Edge's lifeless eyes as he had left the house. And the more she thought about it, the more inconsolable she got. She heard the door to the stairs open and a pattering of feet before she felt Cuore tug at her sleeve. She looked up, blinking through her tears at Cuore.

"Mom, I'm going to go get Dad!"

Rydia spun around and grabbed Cuore's waist as she turned towards the door. "Hold up, sweetie. That's not a good idea right now."

"But Mom, you're crying!"

"I know Cuore, but he won't help...it's hard to explain."

"What are you talking about? But he always makes you stop crying!"

Rydia stared at Cuore's matter-of-fact expression and felt a nagging feeling at the back of her mind. "What are you talking about, Cuore? I never cry."

"You didn't tell me, so I pretended that I didn't know, but I've seen you cry before, Mom! Sometimes, when you put me to bed, I've come downstairs for something and seen you crying. I see you reading his letters, and it makes you stop crying! And you never cry when he's here!"

"Cuore..."

"If he fixes things when you cry, I don't understand why I can't get him when you're crying, Mom!"

"Cuore, it's dark anyways..."

"I can see fine in the dark; I'm not human. I can find him quickly! Please, Mom. I'm 10 now; I can do this, then he can fix things!"

Rydia couldn't get any more words out, so she simply shook her head quietly. Cuore looked troubled, then stared hard at her mom.

* * *

"I'm sorry Mom, but Dad told me to take care of you, and this is what I need to do to take care of you." She then shot out a very small electrical burst, but sharp enough for Rydia to release her in surprise. Before Rydia could grab her again, Rydia saw Cuore light up her psychic abilities, and she fell into an artificial sleep.

"I d...an..."

Rydia woke up to a massive headache and faint voices as the world started to come back into focus. She tried sitting up, but she felt unable to move. From her position on the bed, she could see it was still dark through the upstairs window, which meant she hadn't had much time to recover from Cuore's magic. Cuore was getting a little too powerful for her own good. Since she couldn't move, she figured she'd make the best usage of her time and tried making out the voices better coming from downstairs.

"Cuore, I need to go, okay?"

"No! Why won't you stay and take care of Mom?"

"Cuore, listen. I can't explain the situation to you right now, but I need to go."

"No! Mom needs you right now!"

"Cuore...she asked me not to come back again tonight, okay? I need to respect her request if she doesn't want me here."

At hearing Edge's last line, Rydia felt a huge, painful tug at her chest. She felt like crying again, but she didn't want to alert the two of them, so she closed her eyes and blocked them out until she fell asleep again.

* * *

When she next woke up, her headache had lessened somewhat, but was still present. She groaned and looked out the window: the sun was almost completely overhead. Freaking out at the time, she raced out of bed and stumbled downstairs. When she reached the bottom floor, she saw Cuore sitting at the table, talking with Edge, who had some heavy baggage under his eyes. When he saw her, he got up and headed towards the door.

"She wouldn't let me leave until you woke up. Now that that's taken care of, we'll head out. I'll have her back here by 5."

"Edge wait." He turned back at her comment and gave her a stern look. She decided that she needed to recover from Cuore's magic first before dealing with him. "Never mind; I'll see you this evening." He turned and strode out the doorway, quickly followed by a very confused-looking Cuore.

"Ugh." Rydia shut the door, fell into one of the dining room chairs, and slumped her head on the table. Cuore's magic had strengthened to incredible levels already, and even with Rydia's high ability to resist magic, she was still feeling the aftereffects of Cuore's spell, not to mention being unable to wake up until noon.

Rydia shot her head up. It was noon. She was already four hours late for her morning meeting with Mist, not to mention all of her morning errands around town as High Summoner. Headache and all, she needed to get them done. She grabbed her keys and urgently ran out the door, locking it behind her. She turned to run into town when she was stopped by a familiar voice.

"Rydia!"

She looked to her right and saw one of the other moms running towards her. She inwardly groaned but tried to maintain her composure, even though she knew that she probably looked horrible. "Maria, hi, can I talk to you later please? I have some things I need to catch up on."

Maria waved her off. "Relax, I already took care of that for you." Rydia gave her a disbelieving look, and she continued. "A little green-haired birdy came into my shop yesterday and chatted me up endlessly about her dad visiting while I sold her some chocolate. So after I closed up the store, I went over to the mayor's house and told him you weren't feeling well and might not be around today. I figured you guys would want to sleep in." She winked at Rydia.

Still reeling from her headache, Rydia took a moment to digest, before she went wide-eyed as she realized what her friend thought. "No no wait, that's not what-"

"Hey, relax! I get it." Her friend laughed. "If my husband was gone as much as yours is, I'd make the nights he was here count too. Though it at least explains why you guys haven't had any children since Cuore. And here most of the town thought you were a widow!"

"I...wait, what?" There were so many things wrong with this conversation Rydia was having trouble figuring out how to counter them. Her friend took her momentary silence as license to continue.

"Yeah! No wonder you turned down our offers to set you up! No guy here could even compete in the same class as your husband anyway, if it's who I saw yesterday in town. He's incredibly attractive, and he looks so regal! Is he like a duke or something? The girls were, like, all over him yesterday."

Rydia instinctively glared at the last comments, prompting a laugh from her friend. "Again, relax. He didn't have eyes for them; he was just trying to get directions to the schoolhouse, presumedly for Cuore. But now everything makes sense." Rydia gave her a very exhausted look, and she smiled back. "Look, you have the day off today. Go back inside, get ready for the day, and spend time with him. At the very least, _change out of yesterday's clothes._" She gave Rydia a "knowing" look that just made Rydia's inward groan worse. "I'll keep the mayor away from you two. But anyways, I need to get back to my store. The rest of the girls and I will see you next week, and we'll be expecting stories!" She gave a wink and jogged back into town.

"Maria wai-" Her friend completely ignored her, and she sighed, trying to decide how much damage the gossip grapevine had probably already done. After a moment of contemplation, she figured today was not going to be the day she found out, and she went back inside to get ready and hopefully feel well enough to go visit Mist.

* * *

"And this is the engine room, where-"

"Dad, I know what an engine room is."

Edge sighed. Cuore had told him the day before that she wanted to see the royal airship gifted to Eblan by Cecil, and so he had been largely letting her explore the ship until now. But he didn't understand how she was enjoying it, since she already knew everything about airships to begin with, as a result of her sponge-like memory. He gave her a look. "Would you prefer to do something else?"

"No." Cuore looked back at him quizzically.

"...is something wrong?"

"No." Cuore continued staring at him, and he sighed, realizing he asked the wrong question.

"What are you analyzing then?"

"You didn't say 'morning' to Mom."

Caught a bit off-guard, Edge needed to buy himself a second to compose his thoughts before responding. "So?"

"So you've said 'morning' to Mom every morning you've been with us, besides this one."

"Not EVERY morning, Cuore."

"I know! I said that you didn't say it this morning."

Edge studied Cuore for a second. "This is the first time _ever_ that I haven't said it?"

"No, of course not." Edge relaxed for a second. "Just the first time that you haven't said it in the mornings you spend with Mom." Edge winced.

"Cuore, you're inferring too much into this."

"Actually, I haven't inferred anything; I've only observed."

Edge looked at the young girl staring back at him, stunned. He didn't really know how to respond to her, and he was way too tired from the night before to try. She continued studying him quizzically, and he tried to deflect the conversation.

"How about we move on to the next ship room?"

"Okay." Emboldened by the quick response, Edge began walking to the door, but his relief was short-lived. "So why didn't you say 'morning' to Mom?"

"Cuore..." He gave her a stern look, and she gave him back the same expression she'd held the entire conversation. He sighed. "We'll tell you tonight, okay?"

"Okay." Cuore finally dropped the look and walked out of the engine room towards the next room. Edge cupped his face in his hands, knowing he had just earned Rydia and himself an awkward evening conversation. But at least it bought him time to think about it. He set off after Cuore.

* * *

"Ughhh Mist I'm so sorry for being late. I've had a bad morning." Rydia ran into Mist Cave as a familiar form began to emerge from the fog and formed before her.

"Again, child, time means nothing to me. Think nothing of it. What is the matter?"

"It's nothing." Mist Dragon gave her a stern look, and Rydia gave in, explaining the past day. "And now the whole town's going to be thinking I'm sleeping with him. Ugh."

Mist Dragon lightened its expression towards her and shook in light laughter. "Well naturally, child."

Rydia spun towards the dragon. "Ex-excuse me?!"

"You have done so much to keep people from finding out that Cuore is adopted that, considering Cuore calls Edge her father, I am sure you are more than well aware why they think the way they do, child."

Rydia stood, looking stunned, and processed. "But I don't want her having that label on her. She already doesn't get along with the kids here; I don't want them further aggravating her over something stupid that doesn't matter. And she looks like me, anyway."

Mist Dragon nodded. "That is your choice to make, child."

"...so I just have to deal with it?"

"Not at all, child. Even if you want the village to think she is your biological child, you can always claim subsequent separation between you and Edward of Eblan."

"Oh...I guess I could do that."

"Is that what you want?"

Rydia looked up at Mist Dragon, surprised. "What?"

"Do you want the village to think Edward is single?"

Rydia rolled her eyes. "Like I care at all about that."

"I see." Mist Dragon slowly moved closer to Rydia. "Then why did you tell him that your responsibilities were what kept you from leaving with him tomorrow? I can't recall you _lying_ to him before now."

Rydia diverted her eyes. "I...it's complicated Mist."

"You told me yesterday you would talk to him and give him your answer. I find that statement very simple."

"I did give him my answer. I told him no."

Mist Dragon raised its voice. "No, you told him you were not able to go due to responsibilities, which, again, is a _lie,_ child, one I told you was so yesterday."

Rydia went quiet and hung her head. Mist Dragon backed off and patiently waited for her to speak, knowing it had made its point. When she finally did, it was in a soft whisper.

"What would I do in Eblan?"

Mist Dragon studied Rydia. "How do you mean, child?"

"I...have everything set up here. I have a village to take care of. I have duties as a High Summoner. In Eblan...I wouldn't be able to do that. I wouldn't have anything."

"Child..." Mist Dragon dispersed into fog in order to surround Rydia in comfort. "It is true that you will not be acting as High Summoner in Eblan. But it is not true that you would not have anything. There is a role there for you, if you wish to have it. Just because your role would not be the same one you currently play does not make it a lesser role. Please do not let fear guide your decisions. Ask yourself truly whether you would rather live in the village or with Edward. Follow your heart, not your fears, and be honest with yourself and with him. Now go: today is the last day you are able to do so."

Mist Dragon dissipated as a small tear escaped from Rydia's eye. She stood for a moment, nodded, and left towards the pastures to sit down and think.

* * *

Rydia opened the door to her house, mentally exhausted. She shut and locked the door, turning around to find Cuore sitting at the table, looking out the front window. She blinked at the young girl for a few seconds, then spoke.

"Is Edge here?"

Cuore looked up at her briefly. "No."

"Is everything okay?"

"No."

Rydia sighed. Getting answers from Cuore was always frustrating. She tried to phrase her next question in a way that Cuore would understand that she wanted details. "Edge said you two were hanging out together until 5. It's only 3. What sequence of events happened that led to you being at home and him not being here?"

Cuore looked back at Rydia with a frustrated look on her face. "No, Mom, he didn't say that. He said I would be back _before_ 5\. Didn't you hear him?" She looked away again. "He looked miserable the entire time I spent with him, so I insisted on going home. I don't want to make him sad."

"Cuore..." Rydia sat down at the table. "You didn't make him miserable." Seeing Cuore's face unchanged by her remarks, she took a deep breath and continued. "I did."

Cuore spun her head towards Rydia and stood up. "That's not true! I've _never_ seen him sad around you."

"Cuore, please sit down and listen." The young girl exchanged stares with Rydia, then complied. "Edge and I got into a fight last night." Cuore's eyes widened. "Yes, I know I said that fights are bad. We said things to each other that we shouldn't have. I'm sorry to you as well that we did. You need to know what the fight was about, though." Rydia carefully studied the girl, and, finding her settled down, continued. "Edge is going to take you with him to Eblan. There's lots of kids out there that have lived all over the world. You'll be able to make friends easier, and they have a much more extensive library for you as well, because I know you love to learn."

Cuore's eyes widened even further. "We're going with Dad to Eblan?"

Rydia wore a pained expression as she continued. "Well...no. I told him I couldn't go with you two, Cuore."

Cuore's eyes sunk and she started shaking her head. "No! I'm not going without you! Why can't you go?"

"Cuore, wait, please, give me a chance." Cuore, in response, slumped her head onto the table.

"Fine."

"Thank you." Rydia sighed and braced herself. "I...I can go."

Cuore lifted her head off the table and gave Rydia dagger eyes. "You lied to Dad?"

"...yes, I did, Cuore. And it won't happen again, ever."

Cuore continued to look directly at her, harshly. "Why did you lie to Dad?"

"Because, Cuore, sometimes it's hard to be completely honest with someone that..." Rydia paused and thought hard about how she wanted to continue. "...that cares about you."

"But I care about you." Cuore's eyes widened a bit in pain. Rydia realized the logical inferrance Cuore had made in her head, and she immediately tried to backtrack.

"Yes, of course, Cuore. And I would never lie to you, I promise."

Cuore settled down a little bit at Rydia's statement, but the sadness still remained in her eyes. "Then why is it okay to lie to Dad?"

At seeing Cuore like this, Rydia began feeling the tug at her heart return from the night before. She tried to mentally block it, but it strengthened instead in response. She looked away from Cuore as she continued. "I don't...I mean...well..." Cuore had her in a logical trap, and it was frustrating her and intensifying the pull on her heart. She didn't want to upset Cuore anymore, but she couldn't figure out a way out of the situation. She decided to give up trying. "It's not. I shouldn't have lied to him."

Cuore looked up at her matter-of-factly. "Okay. He's at the ship."

Rydia turned back at Cuore, confused. "What?"

"I said, 'Okay. He's at the ship.'"

"I'm sorry; I heard what you said. I meant to ask you why you said it."

Cuore gave her one of her infamous 'isn't-it-obvious' looks. "You told me that when someone does something bad to someone else, they have to apologize to that person for it. But you didn't know where he was. So I told you."

"Oh." Rydia started sweating a bit as she realized Cuore wanted her to go talk to him right this moment. She thought about making an excuse, but she could tell Cuore was already disappointed in her, and she didn't want to give her more reason to be. "Okay, Cuore. I'll be back in a few hours for dinner. Please follow the rules for being home by yourself."

Cuore nodded and went upstairs, and Rydia left the house, locking the door behind her as she turned to set off for the airship. Instead, she gasped and stopped dead in her tracks as she looked into the distance and saw plumes of smoke, which only meant one thing.

The airship was on fire.

The embarrassing situation with her friend, her talk with Mist Dragon, her talk with Cuore, and everything else about that day suddenly vanished from Rydia's mind, and she took off running. Only one thing mattered at the moment: making sure he was safe.


End file.
